compassionate voiceover

Things To Consider For Staying With Voiceacting (Even When Swimming Against The Current)

July 17, 2024 by Leesha S

Pacific salmon are reported to swim upstream against fierce currents annually. As a natural inclination of the species, the swim is dangerous and filled with predators like hungry bears. Still, the salmon are not deterred and fight to reach the place where they must spawn. Unlike Pacific salmon, most people entering the voiceover business will turn back or close their recording studios for good within the first couple of years. Most of us will not develop the drive of salmon. So, here are some things to consider with voiceacting or any business when you have to continue against the drift or alone.

The Honeymoon Will End

Honeymooners know about the euphoria of those first few days into a new marriage. And like a new marriage, setting up that microphone, social media pages, and so on for a new voiceover business can be fun and exciting. The thought of hearing one’s voice over a streaming service or other media is a wonderful goal. But, when the opportunities don’t come quickly, it’s easy to become discouraged. Moreover, with the initial cost of websites, demos, and proper home studio furnishings, the voiceover honeymoon can end abruptly.

This first lesson is not to give up. Focusing on your goals can keep you moving forward. It’s not just the destination but the journey. The journey is the preparation for reaching the destination.

Watch for Fair-weather Supporters

In the beginning, you will have many supporters and maybe a few business partners. But as the road to success becomes filled with setbacks, obstacles, rejections, and financial challenges, those inexperienced in the voice-over business may only be with you for a while.

Stay Focused During The Fall Away

If you think you can make it in voiceovers, you probably can. So, you must make sure you are focused on what you want and why it’s important to you. No one else can give you purpose and meaning for any pursuit. Review why you got into this business and keep going.

Forgive Often Especially Yourself

As a creative, there will be times when you may feel discouraged, lonely, and even depressed about your lack of success. Having high standards is good, but sometimes we don’t make our own targets. Likewise, there may be times when you feel rejected, misunderstood, or disrespected by others. Strong negative feelings can be dream killers. Remember to forgive often, especially yourself.

Don’t Let Others Tell You When To Quit

You are the only one who can close your doors. Finances and training are the most important parts of your business. When it comes to advice, think about the advice you are receiving and why. It’s good to get business training and mentoring, but make sure the advice is not just a shot to the heart of your dream.

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others (or them to you)

We’ve all seen our colleagues on Facebook and Instagram post about the big jobs they received. Many voice talents post about their awarded big and high-visibility jobs on social media. Seeing someone else’s success while you’re struggling to keep the lights on in your voice-over studio can be a little discouraging.

One of the good things about the voiceover business is the uniqueness each of us brings to the industry. As you continue to market and look for jobs, you will find your niche and where your voice is the most marketable. So don’t worry if you (for now) are not achieving the success of your colleagues. Sticking to a good business plan is a better strategy than being jealous of those who constantly post their success on social media and never their real-life failures or defeats.

Pivot If Necessary, But Don’t Give Up

With the ever advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), we, as voice actors, are challenged to remain marketable and viable to clients. Let’s face it: AI is a real threat, but it doesn’t have to kill your dream. Continue to search for the right genre that is best for your voice. Keep marketing. If you love voice acting, look for non-conventional opportunities like Podcasting and other areas that need the acting that only comes from a human soul.

“Independent will is our capacity to act. It gives us the power to transcend our paradigms, to swim upstream, to rewrite our scripts, to act based on principle rather than reacting based on emotion or circumstance.”

Stephen R. Covey

Be Prepared To Walk Alone

As time goes by, you will undoubtedly face many challenges to your dream. Some will tell you to give up, close down, or suggest you were not cut out for voice acting. Don’t let anyone steal your dream. Failure is not a crime. However, allowing someone to talk you out of pursuing your dream and you then living with that nagging thought of “if only I hadn’t given up,” will not make matters better.

Be prepared to walk alone, but with a good attitude and hope of reaching your desired success. Success can be elusive, but that’s true of many things in our life’s walk. Keep trying; what can it hurt? You may not spawn, but you may hear your voice a time or two over a streaming service or other media. There’s nothing like it.

Break that lip!

Experience Is Never Overrated For A Voiceactor

July 3, 2024 by Leesha S

As an actor, I’m learning to be more cognizant when watching movies or streaming shows to notice the believable actors. I’ve watched TV since my childhood. My favorites were the Flintstones, Speed Racer, Happy Days, and many more. These days, I watch quite a bit of Classic TV and new stuff, but now I see the actors in a different light. In every movie genre, I began to notice the subtleties of the scenes and how the actors worked the moments without dialog by using emotions, body inflections, and other cues to steal a scene. These same attributes can work for professional voiceover talents too. Experience is never overrated; take time to notice what works and makes any great actor great.

Don’t Just Watch, Study

The next time you watch a video or other visual performance, notice the actors that capture your attention. Watch with such intensity as to extract the fundamental nature of a show through your scrutiny. Notice the people who entertain with such passion that they evoke an emotional response. Good actors have learned how to become immersed in their characters so as to seemingly physically become the character. Watch the eyes of the actors as well as their range of feelings and how they interact with each other. Do all the actors play well together, or do some seem shallow, self-absorbed, or stand out above all the rest?

Isolate the Believable Characters

When you see a character actor who is believable, ask yourself why you believe in their performance. What touches your heart and makes you want to see more of them? Believable characters have a way of acting and performing that reaches the audience and communicates verbally and spiritually. Good actors know how to steal a scene and light up a room. See if you can pick up on that spiritual interaction that makes scenes believable and memorable. Actors like Robert Shaw playing Quint giving his USS Indianapolis Speech in “Jaws” and Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon in the “Game of Thrones” character portrayals are so unique that their performances are remembered for years.

Spot the Rookies

Some indie and newer films may have all kinds of actors in the scenes. Often, you can tell the performers who just barely leaned their lines but still haven’t gotten a handle on acting in a scene. These performers lose our attention pretty quickly. The inexperienced actors’ words and actions seem almost rote and fall flat or are uninspiring.

Apply the Good Traits, Drop the Bad Traits

As you take the time to notice experienced actors over the novice, take the good traits and incorporate them into your voice acting. Voice acting requires more focus and believability than on-screen actions. Still, once a voice actor learns to implement the style, habits, and actions of an experienced screen actor, a voiceover delivery takes on a new level of emotion and connectedness behind the mic.

Likewise, when you see bad acting, note what doesn’t work. Does the actor seem more involved in or focused on worrying about how they look on screen than how they act? Are the actors relying on their physical appearance to compensate for the lack of talent, focus, and experience? Some beginner artists believe acting instruction would detract from their natural ability (I say, or lack thereof). Being cute will get you so far and certainly nowhere near acting accolades.

Voice actors should always connect to the VO script, whether it’s industrial or commercial and especially in audiobook pieces. The experienced actor knows how to take a script apart bit by bit and decides how to best apply emotions and feelings to a read.

“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” Steve Jobs

It’s all acting, so whether you’re in front of a microphone or a camera, experience matters. By noticing what you see around you, the verbal, non-verbal, and emotional cues can shape how you interact with others. The better you study those around you on and off screen, the better and more experienced voice-over actor you will be.

Go and break that lip!

Another Season of What Ifs

May 8, 2024 by Leesha S

Woman facing choices. (Image by Tumisu from Pixabay)

As we mature (a favorite euphemism of mine), we consider what could have happened if we had taken another road or course of action in many of life’s decisions. Life presents us daily with a countless number of choices and alternatives. Some of these choices are small, while others can be life-changing. Sometimes, decision-making can become easier as we become familiar with our resources and what makes us tick. No matter the season, it’s all about managing what I call the “What Ifs.”

One Of My What Ifs

If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know that last January, I got extremely sick three days before traveling to what I believed would be a fabulous winter vacation. I had been planning my vacation for more than six months. During the months prior, I would think of my upcoming trip each time I had to press my way through a complex challenge or difficult task. The mere thought of my winter escape would make me smile as hope entered my heart. But just days before my travel, I was exposed to too much cold air in my lungs while outside and became ill.

For weeks after, I wondered, what If I had not spent that ill-fated time outside in the cold? What if I boarded that Boeing jet bound for my vacation spot and snowy mountains of fun? Perhaps, had I taken better care of myself, I would have made my trip with little or no complications. Regrettably, one poor choice caused my illness, the subsequent loss of my journey, and my time away.

You, too, probably have several stories of poor choices or making the wrong decision and simply not knowing it. Entertainers and talents are always looking to meet the right people and make the right connections to become successful personally and professionally. But our choices, even those made with good intentions, have consequences. Our job is to review the outcome and plan for celebration or recovery.

“If all of our sins, bad habits, and poor choices were permanently inked into our skin like tattoos, we would all dress quite modestly.” Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons

Always Time for A Change

As voiceover talents, we have to make choices that affect our careers. Decisions related to marketing to potential clients, hiring help, working overtime, setting rates, and updating demos are just a few of our recurring choices. As we grow in our understanding of the business and the changing environments we all face, we have to be ready to pivot—sometimes at a moment’s notice.

It’s fine to reflect on our past and what has worked and what has not. However, too much reflection on past failures can also skew our view of the future. See What Ifs as training grounds for your current and future choices. Make time to consider how to make better future decisions in your business and life. One of the most significant benefits as human beings is our ability to adapt and make changes.

What Ifs In Voiceover

In the voiceover world, the what-ifs can be endless, which is a good thing. There are so many resources available such as coaches, podcasts, classes, and training to help any hardworking voice talent make wise choices. While managing the What-Ifs in voiceacting is no magic bullet for success, it can help make for softer landings from failure and shorter leaps to victory.

The What Ifs To Come

As you might surmise, I’m a little more careful playing in cold weather, and I always purchase trip insurance. While I had insurance, my lost trip experience taught me that having a good policy can really help with the unforeseen circumstances that come from the unexpected. Stuff happens, so when it does, work it out.

It’s your time now to manage your season of What-Ifs. Don’t let your past or missed opportunities keep you from pushing toward your best life. Life happens, so manage it (keep buying insurance) and #breakthatlip.

Unexpected Experiences Can Enrich You In Unexpected Ways

February 27, 2024 by Leesha S

If you’ve been in your profession for some time, you probably think you have cornered the market in knowing all about your vocation. For example, voice actors with decades of experience are willing to share their knowledge through VO coaching and teaching. But sometimes, you must step back from your smarts and be open to learning new things and embracing new encounters. It’s no drama. Being open to unexpected experiences can enrich you in beneficial and marvelous ways.

We Know What We Know

In December 2023, I participated in a Christmas musical. When I was chosen for the cast, I planned to become the voice or announcer for the upcoming performances in commercials and perhaps do a little singing. Well, that plan quickly went out of the window. I never even got the chance to inquire about becoming the voiceover for the commercials. The production hit the ground running by teaching the entire cast of about 70 people all the dance routines.

Wait. Dancing was outside of my plan. I had no intention of becoming a Triple Threat. I was just looking for a voice-over gig. The game was changing.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were sure you would be the teacher but quickly learned you would be more of a student? This was my turn. I know about voice acting, but I never envisioned myself as a dancer in a musical (especially at this age). You would think that I would have considered the possibility; after all, it was a musical. I was so sure of my knowledge and talent as a voice actor, I immediately limited myself to a certain level of participation. In my mind, my part was to help with the commercials and other public information.

My advice here is to never limit yourself to what you know. Opportunities to gain experience and growth can occur when you least expect it. Never limit yourself to what is currently in your wheelhouse. New involvements can enhance what you already know and give your vocation an expected refresh.

Learn From the Young And Young at Heart

As I started trudging along in rehearsal after rehearsal for months with folks of all ages, I often thought about quitting. Some of the cast members were young enough to be my grandchildren. There I was, trying to learn routines, jumps, and turns by endless repetition. Conversely, many of my younger cast mates were picking up the dance moves with only a few examples. Talk about depressing.

Then one day during rehearsal, a young woman from the cast came over and complimented me on my dancing. (My dancing?) At first, I thought she was kidding, but she was sincere. The young woman mentioned she admired how hard I was trying to learn the steps in the routines. She told me that even though I was not a young troupe member, I was dancing and trying just as hard as the others. From then on, I opened myself up to learn from the young and young at heart.

“Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” Oscar Wilde

Enjoy The Simple Lessons

Even though the dance routines became progressively challenging, I started to see myself as a part of the something more than a group of performers. Now, I was listening to others and noticing their struggles as well as what made them laugh and what frustrated them. We were experiencing the same things. Many cast members had my same intention of only acting, singing, or dancing in the play. Many wanted the opportunity to work with the Grammy award-winning actors who joined in the final performances, and some just wanted to be a part of a Christian event. No matter the reason, we all seemed very much committed to doing our best and not giving up.

Not giving up meant there was a price to be paid. A number of the younger cast members were in school and made great sacrifices juggling homework, class time, and two-hour rehearsals three times a week. Still, few left the production. At almost every practice, a cast member would have to talk another cast member out of leaving the production. We all regularly shared tears of joy and frustration between the young and old. We were no longer a cast. By showtime, we were a family.

Directors Anthony Brown and Joshua Jenkins, Jr., with our Golden Ladies skit cast.

The simple lessons we learned involved empathy, caring, hard work, and developing an optimistic view of what was beyond the horizon. As a result, the play was a huge success.

There were a few speaking roles in the musical, and I was chosen for a part. I was so proud to see my name on the Playbill; it was my first. Moreover, I learned simple lessons about people that I would not have learned had I not been in the production.

Hopefully, you can participate in something that may be farther away from your wheelhouse than you thought. And perhaps you, too, can have unexpected experiences that enrich your life and vocation in beneficial and marvelous ways. #Breakthatlip on purpose.

The Myth Of The Round Tuit

February 19, 2024 by Leesha S

As of September, I had met many of my 2024 business goals. So, I was feeling pretty good about being an actor. (I stopped calling myself a voice actor; now, I see myself as an actor.) Being cast in June for an on-camera role with one of the sweetest four-year-old actors I’ve ever met was one of the highlights of my summer. At the same time, certain essential items were left out of my business plan. I thought about my neglected marketing and other tasks when, the other night, a friend remarked that she would go hiking and walking with me when she could “get around to it.”

It occurred to me that my well-meaning friend would probably never exercise with me. It’s funny how we can get into the habit of saying we will do a thing or make a change yet never make any real effort toward that thing or change. Time moves fast, and we must ensure we are not letting our days slip away without monitoring our goings-on. So, Let’s review the myth of the Round Tuit and start making 2024 great.

What’s Standing In Your Way

While I loved the Christmas play I performed in at the end of December 2023, its now well into another year. Coming off a bout with pneumonia in late January 2024, I’d found it really hard to get back to my regular grove. Granted, I liked my momentum of voice-over work and business. But lately, I’ve let excuses keep me in an “I’ll get around to it” mode. Are you experiencing the same thing? Are you keeping up with those admirable plans you made for 2024? It’s time to identify what’s standing in the way.

The Myth Of The “Round Tuit”

Several years ago (during a different career), I attended a conference exhibit show. One of the vendors had small round disks available for the table’s visitors. The words “Round Tuit” in big, bold white letters were imprinted on each round red disk. The table manager invited me to take one of the red disks so I would no longer have to wait to accomplish something. What a reminder that if you want to achieve something, you’ve got to stop putting off the effort. The Round Tuit is just a plastic, inanimate disk. The only thing it does is remind you of what you haven’t done today and probably won’t do tomorrow.

Let’s Move On

Now that I’ve unpacked the myth of the Round Tuit, I’m off to review my 2024 list of potential voiceover and acting undertakings. My career this year will include more on-camera acting, singing, and of course, voiceacting. Voice-over is my first love in the business. No matter the project, I feel honored with each selection. To have a producer or the like indicate that of all the voices they have considered for a project, I’m the one they want gives me a feeling of being unique.

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” Charles Dickens (David Copperfield)

None of us are getting any younger, and most will not get a Round Tuit by our next birthday. For me, I’ve decided to dig out my Round Tuit and place it near my vocal booth to remind me to get back to doing what allows me to bring joy to others.

You may not have a Round Tuit, so I suggest you make yourself one to remind you of the importance of your time. Make time to do the essential things in your life and business.

Remember, a Round Tuit is just a plastic, inanimate disk. You are a marvelous human on an incredible life journey. Don’t stop doing what makes you great. Go ahead and #breakthatlip.

Be A Voiceover Problem Solver

September 20, 2023 by Leesha S

Are you a problem solver or a problem to work with? A good voice talent is a problem solver. Recently, I had an experience that showed the right and wrong way to solve a customer’s dilemma. If you want to help, learn what is needed and find a way to solve your client’s problem and not create a no-win situation.

Not long ago, I went to a local chain store looking for house candles. The day’s Weather Reports called for heavy rain and possible widespread power outages. So, I thought it was an excellent time to get some old-school candles in case the lights went out in my home. You see, I lost power for seven hours a few weeks ago. Therefore, preparing for a potential power loss seemed like a good idea.

So, in my efforts to be proactive, I visited a famous store that sold household and grocery items. Unable to find what I needed on my own, I asked a pinafore-clad employee for help. The employee returned a puzzled look in response to my question about the location of household candles. She then made an “educated guess” on where my requested items may be. My other opinion was to ask a different store worker for help. So, I asked another employee. She, too, could not help and admitted the store only carried decorative candles. But I was looking for utility or white candles, usually unscented. Either way, my problem went unsolved.

“If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.”
― Isaac Asimov

But then, I started to rethink my problem. What I really needed was a source of light that did not need an external power source. Then, ‘Bingo.’ I went to the camping supply section and found small lanterns and lights that use batteries. I had solved my problem.

Missed Opportunity

After this incident, I thought about the service I received from the store employees. None of the people I interacted with asked me more questions to understand my problem or provided me with options. They just wanted to get back to stocking the shelves. The employees are still probably restocking stocking shelves.

Take Note for Change

For the voice actor, we should never approach a potential client with an indifferent attitude. When we fail to understand a potential client’s needs or audition specs, we don’t address the problem. Voice talent do more than “stock virtual shelves.” We bring words to life through our unique script interpretation and give messages meaning. It’s a talent’s job not just to provide a product but to solve a problem.

Steps to Being Indispensable

There are many people in and out of the voice-over business daily. Many become discouraged by the changes threatened by technology. But, the focus of every voice actor business should be to solve the client’s problem. Solving problems can be done in four simple steps:

Listen or read to understand the problem or request
Make sure you know why there is a problem
Get or find the right tools, skills, and resources
Make sure you present a final solution (product) and if possible, beyond what is needed

And of course, whenever you have a deadline, you want to be early with your project. If you make it a point to understand the client and uniquely solve the problem, the client usually will seek you out for future help.

To end, always be available to supply a unique experience that will leave your clients impressed and looking to you to solve their VO project problems. That’s how you #breakalip.